Cailyn - Voyager

As a child, I fell in love with The Planets suite by Gustav Holst and had long imagined that music as great progressive rock as well. Various artists have covered parts of the Planets; Mars in particular has received several impressive treatments. For that reason, I was reluctant to cover Mars and I felt that Mercury and Venus would be difficult to render as rock music. Over time, the concept evolved from a progressive rock version of The Planets suite to a musical portrait of the Voyager missions driven by my lifelong fascination with astronomy and the American space program. I imagined a series of tone poems-musical reflections of some of the worlds that the Voyager probes visited. The Planets suite provided the music for the four outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The remaining music is my vision of the many moons the Voyager probes visited and photographed. Much of Voyager is classically inflected symphonic progressive rock, especially the excerpts from The Planets suite as well as Io, Titan, and Triton. Europa and Pale Blue Dot are more New Age with blues inflections. Enceladus is free form without time or key signature. Ariel and Miranda are classic-progressive rock hybrids. Voyager is louder and edgier than Four Pieces. Voyager is primarily an instrumental work though I did write wordless vocals for several of the tracks. Most of the drum tracks have been recorded on an acoustic set, played by session drummer extraordinaire, Neil Holloman. The bass guitar and keyboards are more prominent, especially the keys as much of the original music was written at the keyboard. The album also features live performances on cello, sax, voice, and English horn by renowned session players. The Voyager album is: Voyager - A powerful symphonic introduction leads to a bluesy guitar progression followed by a powerful progression of chords that builds to a grand crescendo before a return to the opening theme complete with synths, voices, guitars, and drums. Io - Pure progressive in 7/4 time. A brooding concoction of keys, guitars, synths, and drums. Europa - A quiet, reflective track; both New Age and bluesy with a solo cello and sax. Jupiter - The magnificent composition by Holst, arranged for guitars, drums, and synths into a powerful progressive rock piece. This piece adapted very well to a rock arrangement. Titan - A hybrid of classical elements and driving rock. An eclectic mix of strings, keys, and guitars. Saturn - Although Holst based his pieces on the astrological rather than the astronomical, he seemed to capture the essence of the outer planets very well. This track has an eerie wistful feel. Enceladus - The outlier of all the arrangements, free form, no key or time signature. Synths, keys, voices, and some cool effects. Miranda - An intriguing mix of metal and classical reflecting the chaotic nature of this moon. Uranus - Holst wrote this piece in 6/4 time which adapted well to a heavy bluesy triplet drum track and screaming guitars. Ariel - Pure hard progressive rock mania mostly in 5/4. Triton - A piano intro, followed by a manic rock guitar/synth solo and then a reflective bluesy guitar finish. Neptune - Holst penned this piece in 5/4, an eerie piece that closes with a wordless choir sung by a very talented session artist. Pale Blue Dot - Carl Sagan used this phrase to describe a final photo that Voyager took of the Earth as it was leaving the Solar System behind. This plaintive New Age-Rock hybrid includes a solo cello and English horn. Heliopause - Returns to the opening theme of Voyager and then builds over variations on the opening theme to a powerful conclusion of voices, keys, synths, drums, guitars.